The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the Senate today to adopt legislation sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt that would essentially block the Obama administration&rsquo;s new contraception rule.

The Missouri Republican&rsquo;s bill, which he has sought to attach to a transportation bill making its way through the Senate, would allow employers to opt out of a rule requiring insurance plans to include contraception coverage for women if they have moral objections.

Although a number of Catholic health organizations and institutions have backed a compromise announced by President Barack Obama allowing organizations affiliated with the church to not pay for such coverage, the extremely conservative Conference of Catholic Bishops has not been swayed.

&ldquo;It is little or no comfort that, rather than being forced to propose such coverage, religious organizations will simply have it imposed on them,&rdquo; Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said.

&ldquo;The argument that they will not really have to subsidize the coverage, because insurers will offer it &lsquo;free of charge,&rsquo; runs up against the reality that this coverage will be integrated into their overall health plan, and subsidized with the premiums paid by employer and employee for that plan,&rdquo; DiNardo added.

The conference has increasingly become a force in U.S. politics over the past several years as its leadership has aligned itself with Protestant anti-abortion groups. And although its influence on Catholics in general is unclear, it has significant sway over a group of Catholic lawmakers in the House and Senate.